Illuminated advertising sign



Aug. 13, 1940. J. KAY 2,211,015

ILLUMINATED ADVERTISING SIGN Filed July 25, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. JOHN KA Y.

QAW QM ATTORNEY Aug. 13, 1940. J, KAY 2,211,015

ILLUMINATED ADVERTISING SIGN Filed July 25, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 n i I INVENTOR. OHN KA ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 13, 1940 UNITED STATES,

PATENT. OFFICE '7 Claims.

"This invention relates to advertising signs and more particularly to illuminated advertising signs, although certain features thereof may be employed with equal advantage for other pur- "poses. i Y

It contemplates more especially the provision of an improvedilluminated sign having indirect lighting features and provided with changeable exhibitors without requiring the removal of any component part thereof.

One object of the present invention is to simplify the construction and improve the operation of devices of the character mentioned.

Another object is to provide an improved compact illuminated sign having changeable exhibitors without requiring the removal of any component part of the structure.

Still another object is to provide an indicia sign having illuminating means that are removable as a unit for cleansing and replacement purposes.

A further object is to provide an illuminated sign having changeable exhibitors that are accessible for substitution without requiring any component part of the sign structure to be detached.

A still further object is to provide an advertising sign having a transparent front member in conjunction with an opaque rear member provided with changeable exhibitors accessible through the side thereof without removing any component structural part.

Still a further object is to provide an indirectly illuminated advertising sign having a transparent front member in conjunction with an opaque rear member provided with changeable exhibitors ac-' cessible through the side thereof without removing any component structural part.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following description of an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is. a front view in elevation of an advertising sign embodying features of the present invention.

Figure 2is aside view in elevation of the advertising device. shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side view in elevation of a portion of the sign viewed similarly as that shown in Figure 2 and illustrating the feature of rendering the changeableexhibitors accessible from the side without removing any component structural part of the sign proper.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the sign shown in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a sectional view along line VV of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary rear view 5.

taken substantially of the edge region of the opaque rear plate showing the details of construction that render possible changeable exhibitors without removing any component part of the sign structure.

Figure 7 is a sectional View taken substantially along line VII-VII of Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary sectional view of a modified embodiment of 'the present invention taken substantially along line VIE-VIII of Figure 1 when viewed in connection therewith.

Figure 9 is a sectional view taken substantially along line IX--IX of Figure 7.

Figure 10 is a sectional view taken substantially along line X-X of Figure 7.

Figure 11 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along brokenline XIXI of Figure '7.

Figure 12 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along line XII-XII of Figure '7.

Figure 13 is a sectional view taken substantiallyalong line X['IIXIII of Figure 12.

Figure 14 is a schematic wiring diagram showing the top, and bottom illuminators connected t a common light source.

The structure selected for-illustration comprises a horizontallly shaped and disposed top member ID and corresponding shaped and disposed bottom member which are constructed from sheet metal or other material so as to serve as an illuminator housing as Well as impart the desired visual and ornamental effects to an advertising sign member l2 interposed therebetween. Any suitable ornamentation such as the plated surface strips l3 and M may be adhesively or otherwise attached to the top and bottom tubular housings H! and H so as to improve the attractiveness thereof from anappearance standpoint. An intermediate advertising sign member l2 consists, in this instance, of an opaque rear plate member l5 of substantially rectangular configuration having end portions IQ and H extending into top and bottom members Ill and ll that join to the rear wall thereof by welding, soldering or other suitable fastening expedients.

A rear opaque member I5 is bent or otherwise shaped to provide an oil-set side Wall l8 that is forwardly flanged as at l9 to cooperate with the correspondingly shaped and sized side member 20 having a corresponding front flange 2| to receive a transparent frontvmember such as the glass 22 in position between the tubular top and bottom housings l0 and H. To this end, tubular top and bottom housings l0 and II are provided with substantially U-shaped flanges 23 and 24 welded or otherwise joined to the housings l0 and H as at 25 and 26, respectively. Suitable impact absorbing pads 21 and 28 are interposed between the edges of the transparent glass front plate 22 and the flange members 2324, thereby securely holding the front member 22 in position in parallel and spaced relation to the rear plate [5.

In the event it is desired to procure the effects of an edge glow of the transparent plate 22, the upper and lower flange edge supporting members 2324 are dispensed with and a pair of correspondingly flanged brackets 29 and 30 are substituted (Figures 9 and 10). The brackets 2930 embrace the upper and lower edges 3 I and 32 of the front transparent plate member 22. In consequence thereof, light can be diffused through the top of the front glass plate member 22 as well as indirectly refracted therethrough by means of illuminators such as electric light bulbs 33 and 34 mounted in the tubular top and bottom housings iii and H, respectively.

To this end, a pair of upper light bulbs 34 are disposed in the top and bottom housings l0 and I I, respectively, they being attached in electric bulb sockets 35 that are mounted to end brackets 36 fixed to closure plates 37 (Figure 5). The closure plates 3'! are provided with side flanges 38 and 39 which project through correspondingly shaped openings provided in the ends walls 40 and 4| of the top and bottom housings Ill-4| to serve as closures thereof. In order to permit the circulation of air through the housings l O-l I and between the front and rear advertising sign plates l5l9, the top and bottom closure plates are provided with a plurality of apertures 42 that afford the disposition of the heat generated by the illuminators such as the bulbs 33-34.-

In order to preclude the light emanating from the bulbs 33-44 to pass through apertures 42 in the closure plates 31, light baflle plates 44 having divergently inclined side flanges 45+-46, are fixed to the inner siuface of the closure plates 31 with the sockets 35 resting thereon by virtue of their brackets 36. This provides for the entrance and discharge of air through the apertures 42 and precludes the light emanating from the bulbs 33-34 to pass therethrough owing to the divergent light baiiles 4546. As a result, the light rays can pass through the edges 3l32 of the front glass member 22 and also be refracted therethrough owing to the positioning of the electric light bulbs 33-34 in direct alignment with the transparent plate member 22.

The major portion of the light emanating from the bulbs 3334' will be directed against the opaque rear member l5 and refracted through the glass 22, while the smaller portion thereof will be diffused through the edges 3I-32 of the transparent plate member 22. When light diffusion is not desired through the plate member 22, the flange plates 2324 are utilized in lieu of the confronting brackets 29-30 (Figures 9 and 10). Light diffusion through the top of the plate member 22 will bring out any designs such as the indicia 41 etched in the glass 22 or painted on the interior surface thereof. The illuminators 3334 are connected in parallel to the wires 48-49 (Figure 14) confined in a conduit 50 (Figure 4) for connection to a common electrical energy sourcesu'ch'as a wall socket.

It will be apparent, therefore, that the mounting of the electric light sockets 35 on the closure plates 31 renders the latter detachably associated with the walls 40--4l, respectively, of the upper and lower housings I 0 and II for replacement of the bulbs 33-34 or the cleansing of the interior of the housings Ill-ll which is conveniently possible without entailing much time, labor or painstaking care. The closure plates 31 serve as mounts for the sockets 35 of the illuminator bulbs 3334, and usually are held in position by providing slots 5| in the side flanges 38-39 (Figure 11) at their juncture with the plate 31 that has an overlapping extremity 52.

The slots 5| are provided only in one end of the closure plates 31 so that the latter will serve as a complement of the adjacent edge aperture 53 of the end walls 40-4! of the upper and lower housings l0l I, thereby establishing engagement therewith to preclude outward or inward displacement. An overlapping end 54 opposite to the solid end 52 in the closure plates 31, is provided with suitable fastener such as a screw 55 (Figure 4) to effect attachment with the end walls 4fl4| with the upper and lower tubular housings l0l I, thereby providing a convenient and effective method of attaching the closure plates 31 to the housings Ill-H.

Any suitable form of hanging instrumentalities such as a wall attaching plate 56 may be welded or otherwise joined along the median line of the upper housing In for attachment to the rear wall thereof. Should it be desired to use a chain or other suitable expedients, the perforated end brackets 51-58 may be also secured to the side walls of the upper housing in so as to render the sign attachable or suspendible in order to conveniently attach or suspend the sign with any one or two of the different expedients 56 5'l-58 provided for that purpose,

In the present embodiment, the opaque rear plate I5 is provided with a superposed series of adjacently disposed channel members 59 that have side edge flanges 60 and 6| for receiving and retaining the paper or other suitable type of indicia carrying runners 62 therebetween. The channel members 59, in this instance eleven, are adjacently disposed to each other and the channel defined by the edge flanges Gil-5| communicate with openings 63 defined by spacing the opaque rear member l5 from the rear edge of the side wall member 20 (Figures 2 and 3), thereby affording the removal and replacement of the interior carrying strip placards 59 Without removing any component part of the sign l2.

Another top channel member 64 is shaped to correspond with the channel members 59, but is appreciably wider and has similar upper and lower edge flanges 65 and 66 so that the name of the firm or its copyright may be either painted or otherwise inscribed thereon or inserted therein in the form of a placard confined between the edge flanges 65 and 66. A similar opening 63 renders the channel member accessible for the insertion of a placard therein. The channel members 59-64 may be welded or otherwise secured to the opaque rear member I5 which is provided with a series of reversely bent tabs 61 formed integral therewith and disposed along the meeting edges of the channel members 59-64 in order to rigidify the edge of the opaque member l5 adjacent the spaces 63 that permits the insertion and removal of the indicia-carrying placards 59.

It will be observed, therefore, that the indicia do l.

carrying placards 5964 will be illuminated and it is preferable that these be painted. white to more effectively reflect the light directed thereto from the illuminators 33-33. The housings l0ll that confine the illuminators 33-34 preclude the direct illumination of light through the transparent member 22'so that a soft andpleasing indirect illumination will be projected through the .transparent member 22 and thus attract the eye to the indicia carrying plates 59 orany advertising mediums confined thereon or on the transparent front plate member 22.-

In the modified embodiment shown in Figure 8, the back plates l5 of the casing l2 are stamped or otherwise shaped to provide inwardly directed horizontal shoulders in vertically spaced relation to define the placard receiving grooves 59. Placards 62 are sized to correspond with the grooves 59 whose side edges constitute inwardly directed shoulders. Elongated fiat substantially rectangular plates are spot-welded or otherwise joined to the shouldersof the back plates Hi to present the overlapping edges 60'- -6l in confronting relation with the placard receiving grooves 53, thereby forming retainers for the placards 62' in much the same way as describedin connection with the preferred embodiment shown in Figure '7.

Various changes maybe made in the embodiment of the invention herein specifically described without departing from or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention or any features thereof, and. nothing herein shall be construed as a limitation of the invention, its structural concept or embodiment, as to the whole or any part thereof, except as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an advertising sign, the combination with a frame having a transparent front member, of an opaque rear member spaced from said transparent front member, side walls interposed between said front and rear members, placard insert guide mounts on the inside surface of said rear opaque member, there being slots in one of said side walls for communication with said placard insert guide mounts, an opaque end member extending from said frame, and illuminator means in said opaque end member to direct light rays between said front and rear members for indirect emanation through said transparent front member.

2. In an advertising sign, the combination with a frame having a transparent front member, of an opaque rear member spaced from said transparent front member, side walls interposed between said front andrear members, end closure plates on said frame placard insert guide mounts on the inside surface of said rear opaque member, an opaque end member extending from said frame, and illuminator means mounted on said closure plates in said opaque end member to direct light rays between said front and rear members for indirect emanation through said transparent front member.

3. In an advertising sign, the combination with a frame having a transparent front member, of an opaque rear member spaced from said transparent front member, side walls interposed between said front and rear members, placardinsert guide mounts on the inside surface of said rear opaque member, an opaque end member extending from said frame, light baffle members on said opaque end members and illuminator means mounted on said members in' said opaque end member to direct lightv rays between said front and rear members for indirect emanation through said transparent front member.

4. In an advertising sign, the combination with a frame having a transparent front member, of an opaque rear member spaced from said transparent front member, side walls interposed between said front and rear members, an opaque end member extending from said frame, and illuminator means disposed in edge alignment with said transparent front member and in said opaque end member todirect light rays between'said front and rear members for indirect emanation through said transparent front member.

5. In an advertising sign, the combination with a frame having a transparent front member, of an opaque rear member spaced from said transparent front member, side walls interposed between said front and rear members, an opaque end member extending from said frame, a closure plate detachably connected to said opaque end member, and illuminator means mounted on said closure plate disposed in edge alignment with said transparent front member and in said opaque end member to direct light rays between said front and rear members for indirect emanation through said transparent front member.

6. In an advertising sign, the combination with a frame having a transparent front member, of an opaque rear member spaced from said transparent front member, sidewalls interposed 'between said front and rear members, an opaque end member. extending from said frame, a baffle plate secured to a wall of said opaque end member and illuminator means mounted on said baffle plate disposed in edge alignment with said transparent front member and in said opaque end member to direct light rays between said front and rear members for indirect emanation through said transparent front member.

"I. In an advertising-sign, the combination with a frame having a transparent front member, of an opaque rear member spaced from said transparent front member, side walls interposed between said front and rear members, an opaque end member extending from said frame, edge flanged plates on said back end member, and.

illuminator means mounted on said edge flanged plates serving as baffle members disposed in edge alignment with said transparent front member and. in said opaque end member to direct light rays between said front and rear members for indirect emanation through said transparent front member.

. JOHN KAY. 

